390 



SYSTEM A TIC SYNOPSIS. — PA SSEBES — OSCINES. 



Fig. 251. —Bill of Guiraca, 

 size. (Ad nat. del . E. G.) 



,y, but the white spots reduced or obsolete. Bill light-colored below. In the $ the ten- 

 deney is to perfectly black head, back, tail, and wings, the two former pure and continuous, 

 the two latter boldly spotted with white as described ; but such faultless full dress is not often 

 seen. This stylish Western representative of the elegant rose-breast is common in suitable 

 woodland from the Plains to the Pacific, U. S., wintering in Mexico, breeding throughout its 

 U. S. range ; its habits are the same ; its nest and eggs are 

 indistinguishable. 



90. GUIRA'CA. {Vox barb., Mex. or S. Am. name of some 

 bird. Fig. 251) Blue GtKOSbbaks. Bill with commissure 

 strongly angulated far beyond base, with deep under mandible 

 and bristly rictus as in Zamelodia, but not so swollen, the cul- 

 men nearly straight. Wings long and pointed, folding about 

 the middle of the tail ; tip formed by the 2d-4th quills, 1st 

 little shorter, 5th rapidly graduated. Tail shorter than wings, 

 even. Tarsus rather less than middle toe and claw; outer 

 lateral toe slightly longer than the inner^ but scarcely reaching 

 base of middle elaw. One species, large, ^ blue, 9 brown. 



391, G. coeru'lea. (Lat. ecerulea, cerulean. Fig. 252.) Blub GtEOSBeak. Adult ^ : Rich dark 

 blue, nearly uniform, but darker or blackish across middle of back ; feathers around base of bill, 

 wings and taU, black; middle and greater wing-coverts tipped with chestnut; bill dark horn- 

 blue, paler below; feet blackish. Length 6.50-7.00; extent 10.50-11.00; wing 3.30-3.60; tail 

 2.75-3.00 ; bin 0.60-0.67 ; tarsus 0.75 ; middle toe and claw rather more. 9 smaller, plain 

 warm brown above, paler and rather flaxen-brown below, sometimes whitey-brown on throat 



and belly, or with slight streaks on 

 beUy and crissum ; wings and tail fus- 

 cous, sometimes slightly bluish-glossed 

 or edged, the former with whitey-brown 

 cross-bars; biU and feet brown. Young 

 (J at first like 9 > when changing, 

 shows c'onfused brown and blue ; after- 

 ward, blue interrupted with white be- 

 low. U. S., from Atlantic to Pacific, 

 but southerly ; rarely N. to Massachu- 

 setts, and even Maine ; winters wholly 

 extralimital ; breeds throughoutits U. S. 

 range. Its limit of northward migra- 

 tion with regularity and in any numbers 

 is about the latitude of Philadelphia. 

 Fig. 252.— Blue Grosbeak, reduced. (Sheppard del. Nichols sc.) Nest in bushes, vines or other shrub- 

 bery, sometimes a low tree, of grasses and rootlets; eggs 4-5, averaging 0.90 X 0.65, palest 

 bluish, normally unspotted ; quite like those of the indigo-bird, but larger. 



91. PASSEKI'NA. (Lat. passerinus, sparrow-like : not well applied to these " matchless ones.") 

 Pautted Finches. Bill relatively smaller and weaker than in the last, with less conspicuous 

 angulation, the oulmen regularly a little convex, the gonys nearly straight. Outer 4 primaries 

 longest ; 1st usually between 4th and 5th, the latter much shorter. Tail little shorter than wing, 

 about even or emarginate. Feet moderate ; tarsus about equal to the middle toe and claw ; 

 lateral toes about equal to each other, their claws falling short of base of middle claw. 

 Embracing several elegant finches of small size ; the males of very showy hues, especially 

 blue, but also red, purple, yellow, and green, usually in masses ; the females of simple and 

 tasteful greenish or brownish shades. 



